screaming oranges Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 That's fairly close to being the most patronizing thing I've ever read. I thought you were exaggerating a bit, but I just read it myself.
justin Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 Interesting observation justin. ***** WARNING: Wild conjecture ******** Is it really that fewer are moving up (i.e. are your salee numbers (not % of revenue) for home stuff down) or that more people are just buying portable rigs and being "done"? I would guess the number of people spending on home rigs is about the same or growing but there have been a lot of people that have entered the market that are only interested in portable so the market share for home stuff is down a lot but the number of units sold is not necessarily down. Of course this is all a wild ass guess and I don't have anything to back it up. If you look at the membership on Head-Fi since I started in business, it has grown somewhere between 20x and 30x. There is also a lot more competition now, so my growth has only been a multiple in the low to mid single digits. I didn't even have a portable amp until 4 years ago, and didn't have a competitive portable amp until a year and a half ago, and now I couldn't do without it. You are probably correct that there are more people buying home rigs today than several years ago. But they are buying $200 Chinese tube amps. The people who are interested in the >$2500 doesn't seem to be a growing group, its the same people that have been members of Head-Fi for several years and most of them are members here too. The Gilmore Lite, at its absolute peak, I sold 28 in Feb 2005. In all of 2008, I sold 12. Of course, it was also 4 years old at that time which makes it a dinosaur on Head-Fi and it had worn out its welcome. I plan to replace it around the end of this year so I will get to find out what is really going on with portable vs. home amps. I suspect any home amp under $500 will sell about 1/4th as well as an identically priced portable.
jp11801 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 guys keep in mind the person that wrote that release was most likely Margorie (Al Stiefel's wife). Having met her and her assistant on this thing there is no way they were trying to be condescending. She is new to this and does not fully understand our community, while she has been a part of RMAF for years she has done so as Al's wife not as a crazy audio enthusiast like the rest of us. How about giving the women a break on this one and not reading into to things too much.
screaming oranges Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 guys keep in mind the person that wrote that release was most likely Margorie (Al Stiefel's wife). Having met her and her assistant on this thing there is no way they were trying to be condescending. She is new to this and does not fully understand our community, while she has been a part of RMAF for years she has done so as Al's wife not as a crazy audio enthusiast like the rest of us. How about giving the women a break on this one and not reading into to things too much. Free monitors and I will forgive them.
Beefy Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 ***** WARNING: Wild conjecture ******** Is it really that fewer are moving up (i.e. are your salee numbers (not % of revenue) for home stuff down) or that more people are just buying portable rigs and being "done"? I would guess the number of people spending on home rigs is about the same or growing but there have been a lot of people that have entered the market that are only interested in portable so the market share for home stuff is down a lot but the number of units sold is not necessarily down. Of course this is all a wild ass guess and I don't have anything to back it up. I would argue that the quality of portable gear has shot up significantly. Never as good as a similarly priced desktop gear, sure, but certainly getting closer with fewer compromises all the time. As such, there is less inherent need for the majority to take the step up.
Iron_Dreamer Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 Interesting observation justin. ***** WARNING: Wild conjecture ******** Is it really that fewer are moving up (i.e. are your salee numbers (not % of revenue) for home stuff down) or that more people are just buying portable rigs and being "done"? I would guess the number of people spending on home rigs is about the same or growing but there have been a lot of people that have entered the market that are only interested in portable so the market share for home stuff is down a lot but the number of units sold is not necessarily down. Of course this is all a wild ass guess and I don't have anything to back it up. Well, I replaced my "home" rig with a rig that most would considering "portable," somewhat unintentionally, only because it gave me the best sound for the buck. Now what does that end up meaning?
justin Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 Well, I replaced my "home" rig with a rig that most would considering "portable," somewhat unintentionally, only because it gave me the best sound for the buck. Now what does that end up meaning? Means you spent all your money on camera equipment instead
Dusty Chalk Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 JH Audio isn't helping the cause much, either.
manaox2 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 Well, I replaced my "home" rig with a rig that most would considering "portable," somewhat unintentionally, only because it gave me the best sound for the buck. Now what does that end up meaning? For me that would probably mean new $1300 customs in a year. I tried that with the UE11, didn't save me much money sadly and moved up to home rig still. Not saying that they equal the JH13 or that I'm everyone though, I just can't go that way again I'm afraid.
Dreadhead Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 JH Audio isn't helping the cause much, either. I was thinking the same thing.... I will resist, I will resist....
Dreadhead Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 dew eet Not until I hear them and luckily I haven't heard them yet.
Hopstretch Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 Not until I hear them and luckily I haven't heard them yet. I thought you were over audio?
Dreadhead Posted August 5, 2009 Report Posted August 5, 2009 I thought you were over audio? I am. I'm not trying to hear them Power meter FTW.
Asr Posted August 25, 2009 Author Report Posted August 25, 2009 I received the following info recently from a newsletter sent by Audio Unlimited Denver, one of Colorado's biggest dealers for multiple brands (more than 30). As usual, looks like they won't be pulling any punches. First is this blurb for the headphone part of RMAF, and this is a direct quote from the newsletter: "Speaking of the RMAF, the 2009 Head-Fi Can Jam will be held at the RMAF show this year. We will have a reference headphone system in front of our Blanca/Maroon Peak rooms including the new Grado PS-1000 Reference Phones, Lehmann Linear Amp, and the PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC/Transport. Come see just how good headphone systems can sound. We sell phones from Grado with amps from EAR, Grado, Lehmann, and PS Audio." And the dealer's display systems: > Maroon Peak Focal Maestro Utopia ($50K) (speakers) ** Focal Grande Utopia EM (speakers) Clearaudio Innovation turntable w/ Performance tonearm MBL 1621A transport ($24K) MBL 1611F USB DAC ($24.75K) ** Running Springs Audio Maxim power conditioner ** > Blanca Peak Hansen Emperor (speakers) Transrotor Tourbillon turntable w/ Graham Phantom tonearm Accuphase C-27 phono stage ($12K) ** Accuphase DP-800 transport & DC-801 DAC Hansen Knight (speakers) Accuphase DP-700 CDP ($26K) > Room 2007 MBL 111F Radial ($35K) (speakers) ** MBL 116F Radial ($25K) (speakers) ** MBL 1511F ($10.65K) & 1521A ($10.95K) DAC/transport > Room 2009 Focal Scala Utopia Transrotor ZET 3.2 turntable w/ Phono II Phono Pre Air Tight PC-1, ATC-2, & ATM-211 (cartridge, pre-amp, monoblock) Accuphase DP-600 CDP ($19K) > Room 2013 Hansen Prince V2 (speakers) Clearaudio Innovation turntable Aesthetix CD Player ($5K) ** Aesthetix Rhea Signature Phono Pre, Calypso Signature Pre-amp, Atlas Mono Amps > Room 2017 Electrocompaniet Nordic Tone (speakers) ** Electrocompaniet EMC-1UP CDP Electrocompaniet ECR-1 (tuner), EC 4.8 (pre-amp), & AW400 (monoblock) > Conifer 3 Focal 30th Anniversary 826W (speakers) ** Focal Electra 1038Be (speakers) ** Pathos electronics ** indicates North America- or World-premier new-release components More info on Audio Unlimited display components Aesthetix CD Player: - balanced differential tube voltage gain and output stage - multiple input DAC including asynchronous transform mode over USB at 24/96 (upgradeable to 24/192) - $5K MSRP Focal Maestro Utopia: - 3.5-way full-range floorstanding design w/ dual 11" woofers - "W" composite drivers - $50K MSRP Focal 30th Anniversary Limited Edition 826W: - two colors available: Satin Imperial Red or Black Gloss - "W" composite drivers - Alu-Magnesium tweeters - $3,495 MSRP
jp11801 Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 Vendors for RMAF are rolling right along! I am setting up the pipe and drape set up for the room right now looks like we are at 16 vendors and counting probably get to neat 20 plus a 800 sq foot space for members. Steve and Sherwood please get the locals rolling we needs member rigs fellas, please.
Asr Posted August 25, 2009 Author Report Posted August 25, 2009 Steve and Sherwood please get the locals rolling we needs member rigs fellas, please. Will do my best with the help of the PM system over at HF. If anyone here on HC is thinking about traveling out for RMAF btw and wants to send gear, I will gladly be the recipient, caretaker, and return shipper. I don't have a whole lot of space left though (combining space availability at home and at work) so a few other people might have to also step up. Also given the distance between DIA (the airport) and the RMAF hotels, I will also volunteer to drive any travelers in either direction depending on the flight time (the hotels are too far from DIA to provide free shuttle service). There is a much smaller airport closer to the Denver Tech Center (Centennial Airport) but I don't know anything about it.
HeadphoneAddict Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 For the locals setting up "member rigs", we should do shifts where members can take turns watching each other's rig so that each member isn't stuck guarding their own rig the entire time. Any suggestions for making it work?
Dusty Chalk Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 Speaking of the RMAF, the 2009 Head-Fi Can Jam will be held at the RMAF show this year... Wait, what?
HeadphoneAddict Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 Wait, what? There is another CanJam this year, being held at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Go figure.
morphsci Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 Wait, what? A good reason to use different names for the two events.
Pars Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 A good reason to use different names for the two events.I agree. The RMAF thing should not be called CanJam... perhaps CJ Sampler?
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